Waiting, Together
by NeoNails
Summary: Set during 100. Emily was only minimally surprised to see Reid still standing there, hands stuffed in his pockets, patiently waiting for her.


Hi… This is the first fanfic I've ever written for _Criminal Minds _(but hardly my first ever, as you can see from my profile), but I watch the TV show obsessively and have read plenty of fantastic fics from you guys.

Set during _100_ (5.9), because that was one of the best and saddest episodes in the show. And I can't start my first fanfic here without a little Prentiss/Reid shipping.

$4$

_Shadows linger  
>Only to my eye<br>I see you, I feel you  
>Don't leave my sight<br>It's not fair, just when I found my world  
>They took you, they broke you<br>They tore out your heart_

- "Haunted," by Kelly Clarkson

* * *

><p>At the end of Strauss' interrogation, Emily slipped out from behind the heavy oak door and was only minimally surprised to see Reid still standing there, hands stuffed in his pockets. In his baggy grandpa sweater and with that serious expression on his face, he looked younger—and sadder—than she had ever seen him before.<p>

It made her want to hug him. It had been a while since she had last hugged anyone.

His mouth twisted, and she could see him working up the nerve to say whatever he wanted to say. "You okay?" he asked, lifting his gaze from the tiled floor and locking eyes with her. His voice was quiet, subdued—no one had been able to raise their voice above a murmur after leaving Hotch's home.

"I'm not good," Emily finally answered, raising her dark eyebrows slightly. She mirrored his position, if only to do something with her hands, and walked up to him. "But I could always be worse."

Reid nodded, his expression never changing for a second. "Same," he admitted. When she started to walk down the hallway, he followed, falling into perfect step beside her. "Are you planning on sticking around until Hotch's interview is over?"

Emily nodded, for once not trusting her voice. What would Strauss ask Hotch? Having an ambassador for a mother, Emily understood office politics better than most, but it still lit under her skin to hear Strauss question his motives at every turn. This was never just a job for anyone on their team, and Hotch was never just a boss.

"Me too," Reid replied softly, so much so that Emily almost didn't hear him. Silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable, which was a marked improvement from when she first started working for the BAU and was positive he couldn't stand her.

"Did you know that a quarter of employees in America reported their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives?" Reid quizzed, and whether he intended it or not, the question made her genuinely smile for the first time in 48 hours. "And this is just employees in general, not even counting the added stress of working in a physically dangerous job like law enforcement."

"I did not know that," Emily replied carefully, watching Reid out of the corner of her eye. "Though that doesn't surprise me too much."

They reached the end of the hallway, and the doors to the elevator, and Emily stopped. Reid leaned over and pressed the elevator button, muscle working in his jaw. She reached out for him, her hand marred from too many years of handling guns and chronic nail picking, coming into contact with the soft sweater that covered his forearm. He jumped, though she didn't know if it was from her touch or the comfort. "Hey," she said quietly, "Are you okay?"

He was silent for a long time, staring down at the way her pale skin sharply contrasted his dark sweater—appropriate attire, given their last few days. When he finally looked back up at her, his eyes were glassy. "Do you think Hotch is going to leave?"

Emily swallowed hard, weighing her words. "I don't know," she admitted, going the honest route because that was what seemed to always work best between her and Reid. "But even if he does, we'll always be a team. No one can take that away from us."

She realized then her eyes probably looked glassy to him as well, because as she spoke the words she could feel them misting over with tears. She broke then, holding back a sob but stepping forward to Reid, unclenching the fabric of his sweater long enough to wrap her arms around his lean shoulders.

Reid, god bless him, only hesitated for a second before returning her hug with one twice as strong that belied his wiry frame. She could feel him shaking with unshed tears, and as she buried her face in his neck and messy hair, she felt herself finally let go.

Then the elevator _dinged_ and the doors slid open and they broke apart, smoothly sliding back into their carefully composed masks. But as they walked into the elevator, they paused long enough to exchange watery smiles.

If they got through this together, maybe everything would be okay.

* * *

><p><em>Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.<em>

- Swedish proverb

$4$

This was pretty heavy, but I wasn't exactly expecting sunshine and kittens because this was taken from _100_. It was mostly inspired by that little snippet when Reid leaves the interrogation and exchanges glances with Prentiss. Yeah, it takes that little to give me an idea.

Hope you liked my very first try at _Criminal Minds_! :)


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